RD: Balance of Power
Overview Lister decides to become an Officer to outrank Rimmer so he can revive Kristine Kochanski as a hologram. Summary Lister finally gets a reprieve from Rimmer's boring inventory checks and goes for a drink. Sitting in the empty bar, he flashes back to a disco that he attended with his mates, Petersen, Selby and Chen; and finally realises that he is alone. After he wallows in self-pity for being alone in deep space, Lister pleads with Rimmer to allow him to create a hologram of Kristine Kochanski, an upper-class love interest. When Rimmer invokes his standing as a superior crew member (2nd Technician as opposed to 3rd Technician) and flatly refuses, Lister plans revenge and threatens to take the exams to become an officer and outrank him. Rimmer scoffs at the idea but wakes up in the morning to discover that Lister is off studying for the chef's exam, a fairly basic one but an officer's position nonetheless. Rimmer tries to discourage Lister from taking the exam and even orders him not to but Lister doesn't give in saying that the only way he wont take the exam is if Rimmer lets him see Kochanski. On the day of the exam, Kochanski walks in and Lister is stunned beyond belief. However, Kochanski tells him that she isn't interested in him and wants a real man. Lister is hurt but is puzzled at the way she speaks. He tricks her by commenting on the night that they had sex, and she replies in disbelief, proving to him that it is actually Rimmer. Lister tells Rimmer to go away and he finishes the exam. Lister comes from the exam room to receive his results and Rimmer asks how he did. Lister's face is expressionless until he leaps in the air and shouts "How'd I Do Mr Lister, Sir!". It was then shown in Holly's "distress call" at the beginning of the next episode, Waiting for God, that Lister actually failed his Chef's exam but lied to Rimmer that he passed. This, according to Holly, is "the most intresting thing that's happened around here (on Red Dwarf) recently". Notes *The flashback scene was intended to be a recurring theme throughout the series, showing Lister's secret feelings of intense loneliness and his contrasting past and present lives, but the idea was scrapped. *The Rimmer-in-Kochanski's body scene was originally much longer, showing off Clare Grogan's acting ability as she impersonated Chris Barrie, but the scene had to be cut due to running time (the full-length version is included on DVD releases). *In Lister's disco flashback he tells his mates that his uncle's brain is in a jar. It must run in the family since he discovers that is how he ends up in season 6's Out Of Time. *When the cat is ordering FISH from the machine he orders 6 of them. Several other food containers are visable on the console, so apparently he did eat a whole lotta fish. *This is the first episode when we see a skutter give Rimmer a "two-fingered salute" by twisting their heads at certain angle. (This gesture, the UK equivalent of the middle-finger/flipping the bird gesture, is largely lost on North American viewers.) *Apparently Petersen's consciousness still lives in his arm, as it's the arm that attacks Rimmer. However, it's only in a deleted scene -- a longer version of the disco sequence -- that it's explicitly indicated that it is Petersen's arm, as the deleted scene shows the character discussing the tattoos later shown in close-up when Rimmer gets the arm. Noteworthy Dialogue *'Holly:' In the 3 million years we've been away, it is my fond hope that mankind has abolished war, cured all disease, and gotten rid of those little western saloon doors you get in trendy clothes shops. *(after shutting off Listers 'Rasta Billy Skank' Music) Rimmer: Why don't you listen to something really classical, like Mozart, Mendelssohn or Motörhead? *'Holly:' I'll have you know I chose this face out of the billions available because it happened to be the face of the greatest and most prolific lover who ever lived. Rimmer: Really? Well he must have operated in the dark a lot *'Lister:' I'm gonna take the exams and become an Officer. Rimmer: And on that day, Lister, Satan will be skating to work. *'Holly:' I brought Rimmer back because he's the best person to keep you sane. Lister: Rimmer? Holly: He's the person you knew best, over 14 million words in all. Lister: Holly -- seven million of those were me telling him to "Smeg Off!" and another seven million of those were him putting me on report for telling him to "Smeg Off!"... *'Holly:' Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Hell was being locked forever in a room with your friends." Lister: Holly, all his mates were French. *'Rimmer': Good evening you stupid stinking festering gimboid of a cat. *'Cat': Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: Fish! Machine: Today's fish is trout a la creme. Enjoy your meal. Cat: I will. (Later) Cat: Oh man. I've been fished to death! Category:Episodes Category:Episodes Category:Series I Episodes